Achieving Guitar Artistry - Contemporary Picking Etudes


Book Description

Among fretted-instrument players there is an expression that states, "The fret hand marks a player, but the pick hand distinguishes an artist." The 23 original compositions in this book offer a fresh basis to explore and develop plectrum or pick-style playing technique to a professional level. These pieces require various playing techniques and include: linear studies, double-stops, counterpoint, and chord playing. By studying and learning these pieces, guitarists can not only refine their technical mastery, but also enhance their skill level and artistry in solo guitar performance. This collection also includes eight duet arrangements to be played by two guitarists. The duets are fun to play as student/teacher sight-reading exercises, and can be used as guitar duo performance repertoire as well. The music is written in standard notation only. Includes access to online audio containing all 31 pieces.




Achieving Guitar Artistry – Contemporary Preludes, Sonatas & Nocturnes


Book Description

This collection of original, contemporary, concert-style compositions for plectrum or flatpicked guitar includes 15 preludes, 4 sonatas with multiple movements, and 12 nocturnes. The solos present a colorful spectrum of tonality, harmony, rhythms and moods ideal for concert or recital performance. All solos are written in standard notation only with appropriate fingering and string markings.




Guitar Picking Studies for Improving Technique


Book Description

This book includes a multitude of beginning to intermediate studies, designed to build right-hand picking technique and coordination between both hands. The material includes vertical picking exercises across various string combinations, linear picking studies, tremolo studies, warm-ups, picking etudes, triplet exercises and picking solos–essential material that will supplement any guitar method. Written in standard notation and tablature.




Guitar Solos for Improving Technique


Book Description

This collection of 36 solos, etudes and technique studies was written especially for the developing intermediate guitarist. A variety of musical styles and genres are presented, along with a colorful assortment of flatpicking techniques and melodies. In addition to their appealing sound and being fun to play, many of these pieces are suitable for performance in recitals or concerts. Every effort has been made to be sure that these musical selections “lie well under the fingers,” and are very guitaristic or idiomatic in nature. Guitar Solos for Improving Technique is ideal as a standalone solo collection or as a technique-building text. The collection also works well as a supplement to any intermediate guitar method. Includes access to an online audio recording of each piece.




Guitar Picking Tunes - Hymns of Beauty and Strength


Book Description

This book in the Guitar Picking Tunes series presents 29 favorite hymns arranged for guitar solo. The material spans the centuries, but reflects a deep faith, including lyrically-beautiful hymns such as “Just as I Am”, to the powerful “Crown Him with Many Crowns”. These solos work well as preludes, offertories, communion hymns and even recessionals, or simply for enjoyment. All solos are written in standard notation and tablature. Includes access to online audio.




Extreme Rock Guitar Soloing


Book Description

In this expansive book, versatile Argentine guitarist and teacher Pablo Pescatore provides a masterclass in the theory behind creative rock soloing. From the ground up, he presents the theoretical building blocks of major, minor, pentatonic, and modal scales followed by triads and seventh chords in all keys, not just the guitar-friendly ones. Then he proceeds to analyze rhythm in all common and uncommon time signatures before delving into 20 exotic scales. Written in standard notation and tablature, the truly unique aspect of this book is the author’s insistence on improvising with an acute awareness of rhythmic, melodic, harmonic, and dynamic values—not just playing fast and loud in predictable patterns. Demonstrating his ideas in 120 audio examples and a final knock-out blues progression, Pablo encourages readers to write, sing and otherwise incorporate their own variations into their music, dramatically changing the audio landscape of rock guitar soloing. Includes access to online audio.




Famous Lute Solos Arranged for Plectrum Guitar


Book Description

Rob MacKillop presents 20 classic lute transcriptions; the "greatest hits" of the Renaissance and Baroque lute repertoire arranged for pick acoustic, electric, or classical guitar. MacKillop has for many years played all these pieces on the lute, and has created sensitive guitar arrangements that lose nothing from the original scores. Composers include Bach, Weiss, Dowland, Spinacino, among others. Finally, we have a book of lute-to-plectrum guitar transcriptions by an arranger who is deeply familiar with and respectful of both instruments. Includes access to online audio for every item recorded by Rob MacKillop in plectrum style.




The William Bay Collection - Flatpicking Guitar Solo Anthology #1


Book Description

This comprehensive book contains the solos found in five William Bay guitar solo collections. The solos range from colorful foot tapping reels, breakdowns, hornpipes, jigs, fiddle tunes and sea chanteys to country and Celtic ballads and waltzes. Also included are numerous original guitar solos. All 143 solos in this collection are recorded by the author and online access to the recordings is included. All solos are presented in notation and tablature.




The William Bay Collection - Christmas Guitar Solo Anthology


Book Description

This book contains all 60 of William Bay’s guitar solos found in his three Christmas solo collections: Guitar Picking Tunes – Beautiful Carols of Christmas, Guitar Picking Tunes – Christmas in the British Isles, and Guitar Picking Tunes – An Early American Christmas. In this volume, all solos are presented in notation only. Includes access to an online recording of the author performing each piece.




Achieving Guitar Artistry - Lyrical Etudes


Book Description

This book contains 21 original, melodic, song-like solo-guitar etudes which will infuse your playing with lyricism. The compositions are very approachable, containing highly melodic song forms with emotional and narrative content. All the material is written for the plectrum guitar but can also be played fingerstyle. In addition to the solo arrangements, ten of the compositions include a lead-sheet version (for duo or ensemble playing). The etudes are perfect for performance situations such as auditions, recitals, concerts and for enjoyment. Written in standard notation only. Includes access to online audio. The Mel Bay Achieving Guitar Artistry series is designed to condition and guide the developing guitarist to an advanced level of proficiency, regardless of the style of music performed.